The Natural Selection Tour Finals went down in a spot dubbed Mosquito, nestled within the Selkirk Tangiers' tenure—It's the perfect stage for riders duke it out, mano a mano, vying for the crown in a backcountry showdown that’s as raw as it gets. Unlike the man-made offerings present in the qualifiers, the finals highlight the ultimate test, crowning the king and queen of the backcountry—on that day, at least.
Perched atop the course, my view was more takeoffs than landings—a teaser that’s got me itching to catch the replay in all its glory.
It’s safe to say the quarterfinals stirred up a bit of drama, thanks to some eyebrow-raising judging decisions on day one. With no live replay to settle the scores during finals day, Revelstoke was buzzing that night with the kind of blissful ignorance you get from a perfect powder day. But as much as we reveled in that dreamy haze, the real treat is finally getting to unpack this showdown from start to finish. - Stan Leveille